What to use in a chute to prevent clogging?Original Message Mar 4, 2013 10:31 am

Using a circa 1968 Ariens. The inner part of the chute, especially at the angle, is a rusty and heavily dimpled area.

What's good to coat the inner part of the chute with so snow, especially slushy EOD snow, won't stick to and clog it. Am I better off using a really slippery high gloss paint first, just coating the rust with silicone... what's a good prep and finish?

I've read of after market impeller kits that'll throw snow a great distance and imagine that'd help, but that's a lot to add to this old guy.

Re: What to use in a chute to prevent clogging?Reply #2 Mar 4, 2013 11:45 pm

Repainting the chute or putting a liner in it will help the snow to flow better.But it won't really help the chute clogging problem.To really cure that issue you need to decrease the clearance between theimpeller blade tips and the impeller housing wall.The Clarence impeller kit will do that.Or you can extend the tips of the blades by adding weld bead to them.Which is kind of an involved process.The impeller kit is an easier way to go.

Re: What to use in a chute to prevent clogging?Reply #3 Mar 7, 2013 12:04 am

I'm for the impeller kit too. I've read that a kids Crazy carpet, riveted to the auger and chute will stop snow from sticking as well. I've used several coats of car wax in the paste and it help. Ski wax should also make a difference.

Re: What to use in a chute to prevent clogging?Reply #4 Mar 7, 2013 12:21 am

First, get rid of all the rust. Wire brush or sandblast it down to bare metal and treat with a phosphoric acid rust treatment. If you are going to line the chute, prime and paint it well so you don't get rust forming under the liner. Then install your liner.

If you're just painting, it's important to get the surface very smooth, If it's not pitted badly, a few coats of high fill primer should do it. If it's pitted it needs to be filled. First use rust treatment then fill it. Bondo chips easily, I've had luck using PC-7 epoxy; I think JB Weld will be about the same. Mix it up, smear it on and smooth it with a metal putty knife. It's too thick for a plastic spatula like you would use with body filler. Get it as smooth as you can, it's a $#%* to sand later. Sand smooth, prime, paint. Get the topcoat as smooth and glossy as you can.

Pam cooking spray works well at stopping anything from sticking if sprayed on before each use. But keep the can inside - I learned the hard way it won't spray well below freezing. Spray can silicone appears to work even better and last longer but it's much more expensive. I've tried spray on graphite coating but it doesn't help as much as the others and costs more and it's very messy.

Re: What to use in a chute to prevent clogging?Reply #5 Mar 7, 2013 8:34 am

Bill_H wrote:

First, get rid of all the rust. Wire brush or sandblast it down to bare metal and treat with a phosphoric acid rust treatment. If you are going to line the chute, prime and paint it well so you don't get rust forming under the liner. Then install your liner.

If you're just painting, it's important to get the surface very smooth, If it's not pitted badly, a few coats of high fill primer should do it. If it's pitted it needs to be filled. First use rust treatment then fill it. Bondo chips easily, I've had luck using PC-7 epoxy; I think JB Weld will be about the same. Mix it up, smear it on and smooth it with a metal putty knife. It's too thick for a plastic spatula like you would use with body filler. Get it as smooth as you can, it's a $#%* to sand later. Sand smooth, prime, paint. Get the topcoat as smooth and glossy as you can.

Pam cooking spray works well at stopping anything from sticking if sprayed on before each use. But keep the can inside - I learned the hard way it won't spray well below freezing.Spray can silicone appears to work even better and last longer but it's much more expensive. I've tried spray on graphite coating but it doesn't help as much as the others and costs more and it's very messy.

A few years ago (whenever it first came out) I started using WD-40 with the wide spray nozzle tip and it works great. The wide spray nozzle covers a lot of area quickly and the WD-40 displaces water and snow build up while also providing a rust preventative coating in the chute and bucket area.

Re: What to use in a chute to prevent clogging?Reply #6 Mar 20, 2013 2:58 pm

JB Weld!

It can be thinned with acetone or lacquer thinner, and I've found an unneeded credit card to be the perfect applicator. I'll go that route, and then do a few coats of some leftover high gloss marine epoxy paint.

Thanks for the great idea. The wife will be happy that I'm not using anything from the kitchen on this one.